Really? So that cardio will lower metabolic rate - is that due to increased efficiency? I’m basically 5’9 and 200lbs, but on the other hand, I can run a lot, which is not common for a hefty, tubby guy like me…it’s pretty bizarre IMO.
In HS/college used to do 6mi x6 and currently im working on 5mi x6 but if you say that more is not better then maybe I need to rethink this.
I did an undergraduate thesis in the psychology of satiety and weight loss. It’s amazing how clear the research is on certain issues, yet the “locker room” knowledge is complete garbage a lot of times.
It is easier to not eat 500 calories vs burn 500 calories. No one likes to admit it, but it is true. This is a golden rule. And what you eat is very important.
When we start working out, we tend to reward ourselves (ironically with food). A lot of times, the rewards are more caloric than what we actually burned. Studies have shown that when you control for time exercised, the group exericising the most can actually gain weight. This is because of #1 combined with the reward mechanism in #2.
HIIT (High Intenisty Interval Training) is a great cardio routine for burning calories. It’s extremely tough and will make you very hungry. Have to make sure you are eating “right” or you’ll over consume bad stuff.
IMO Strength training is very important as well. I think muscle burns like 6 calories a day while fat burns 2 (or something). You want to do things to slowly increase your basal metabolic rate, while doing #3 to raise calories burned.
Avoiding carbs religiously is a bad idea. Actually in P90X, you’ll notice the diet starts low carb and then introduces them. Tony Horton did that to demonstrate how important carbs are for energy and athletic performance. Have to get energy from either carbs or fat.
Don’t buy expensive recovery drinks. Low fat chocolate milk is a very good post workout drink. It’s been researched in several studies.
P90X isn’t a small commitment. It is an hour 6 days a week. But it’s also full body fitness – strength, cardio, and yoga for flexibility. Insanity is amazing cardio. My recommendation would be start on P90X but don’t push yourself too hard at first. After the first couple weeks you’l be amazed at the newbie gains. After a while, (probably a full 90 day cycle), substitue Insanity for the cardio days in P90X. That’ll serve as your HIIT 3 times a week.
^That’s probaly what I’d do. It’s accessible because both programs are available widely. And it is effective. AFter that, you can be less structured and venture into the gym or do other Tony Horton products (Like One on One). P90X is so repetitive you’ll be able to do it without the videos before long and hearing the same jokes over and over will make you angry! ha ha
It’s just due to the fact that long sustained endurance training burns muscle as well as fat. This is why body builders don’t like cardio, as it eats away their gains so to speak. Intervals don’t do this as much and are much better at just burning fat, while also increasing the basal metabolic rate for like 20-30 hours after exercise. But you really can only do HIIT 2 or 3 times a week, due to its nature. I do HIIT or regular interval cardio almost every day that my legs aren’t sore from doing lifts.
HIIT has a wiki page:
Long aerobic workouts have been promoted as the best method to reduce fat, as it is popularly believed that fatty acid utilization usually occurs after at least 30 minutes of training.[citation needed]HIIT is somewhat counterintuitive in this regard, but has nonetheless been shown to burn fat more effectively.[14][23] There may be a number of factors that contribute to this, including an increase in resting metabolic rate. HIIT also significantly lowers insulin resistance and causes skeletal muscle adaptations that result in enhanced skeletal muscle fat oxidation and improved glucose tolerance.[23]
fascinating stuff…I have no excuse now that CFA is over.
I feel like this is mostly just an academic argument. If you do either high intensity training or long aerobic training, you will most likely lose weight.
Leaving academia aside, and assuming you are doing this for appearance along with the health benefits, just look at sprinters vs long distance runners. Sprinters, who usually perform oly lifts along with their coresponding sprinting regiment, are usually very toned and strong. Long distance runners, on the other hand, usually have a bit of a gut made up of fat storage to prepare them for the long run ahead.
But the point is made by the poster above – losing weight is only part of the battle. You can be “skinny obese” as some hip people call it. Sprinting is way more efficient and actually improves athletic performance (marathon runners sometimes use HIIT to increase their performance).
While it is academic in nature, it has very practical applications. Think of it this way:
A 2008 study by Gibala et al.[15] demonstrated 2.5 hours of sprint interval training produced similar biochemical muscle changes to 10.5 hours of endurance training and similar endurance performance benefits.
C’mon now, who has 10.5 hours?
TLDR.
If you’re way outta shape, Greenman, I recommend you start with the “regular” P90 program. P90X is really meant for scultping - not for burning fat or getting you healthy. I haven’t been on either regimen since I’m pretty fit (at least I think) and don’t want to be buff… I like to just keep slim, with surfboard abs. However, I have two gym crazy buddies who have been doing P90X for the past year now… both are buffed and you’d probably think they’re injecting just by the looks.
In any case, Insanity > P90X > P90 - in the order of intensity.
P90 > P90X > Insanity for getting in shape.
If you don’t want to be the laughing stock at your local gym, make sure to begin warming up at home before hitting the gym. Like ensuring you can run for at least 20 minutes without any breaks before initiating a gym regimen.
Please don’t be the fat biatch who shows up everyday at 6AM and walks on the god damn treadmill, cockblocking people who actually want to run on the treadmill.
P90x is what you want here. You can always switch it up once you finish it. Get after it!
What has really worked for me is signing up for a sports event, like a running event (marathons, halfs, etc.) or a triathlon. This motivates you to stick to an exercise schedule, as you don’t want to embarass yourself in front of a large crowd. Marathon training involves 4 hour runs. I would not have been motivated to do those if there was not some kind of reward in the end.
Wow, all really good points. I agree that the most important thing to do to lose weight is to adjust the diet. Both portion control and the right foods combination are crucial. It helps to use the smaller size plates to reduce portions. They will require a smaller amount of food to fill up and (psychologically) will hide the fact that portions are smaller.
As for food combinations, I found it to be effective to eat meat/fish with vegetables or pasta/potatoes/rice with vegetables, and avoid eating meat /pasta together.
If get hungry between the meals, which is understandable because you eat less, lots black tea (w/out sugar) helps avoiding snacking…
Hope this helps.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/forumdisplay.php?f=13
I would read the stickies here. Keyword: READ
Once you read, then you can ask questions.
May I ask where this obsession with T-levels came from? Is this the latest fad after no-carb and pilates?
Forgot to mention Kegel exercises :-p
I thought guys don’t do pilates?
How the hell would I know? I just mentioned stuff I know from US TV shows.
Actually, almost everytime I read a new thread, there is a little culture shock and I don’t mean the classics (guns, religion, gays) the really funny bits are in the everyday details.
Haha that’s why I canceled cable!
But I actually believe guys are missing out not doing pilates. It’s a very effective excersise.
Plus you can take classes with lots of stretchy ladies.
True:) All the hot girls in my studio…
Insanity is best for pure weight loss…not p90x. I did both and lost much more weight (and my gut) with Insanity